Busy but flat animated adventure in which the hero (voice
of James McAvoy) and heroine (voice of Emily Blunt) of 2011's "Gnomeo and
Juliet" team with the detective of the title (voice of Johnny Depp) and
his sidekick, Dr. Watson (voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor), to stop a spate of garden
gnome kidnappings taking place across London that they suspect may be the work
of the sleuth's arch-nemesis, Moriarty (voice of Jamie Demetriou). Easily
satisfied kids may be willing to accept the rudimentary plot and unfocused
proceedings on display in director John Stevenson's film. But, despite a
positive lesson about not taking friends or loved ones for granted, most others
will be unimpressed.

Watch out for: Scenes of
peril, some mild scatological and anatomical humor.